College of General Dentistry News

Research training scheme for dental professionals

The College has endorsed a scheme offering dental professionals certified training and experience in research.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Associate Principal Investigator Scheme is aimed at UK health and care professionals who would not normally have the opportunity to take part in clinical research in their day to day role, but who are interested in learning about it and willing to make a significant contribution to the conduct and delivery of a study for at least six months.

Participating practitioners work alongside the Principal Investigator (PI) of a relevant NIHR Portfolio study being carried out locally, at the same site, typically for 2-3 hours per week. Mentored by the PI, they also complete a checklist of study activities and an online learning pathway, and on successful completion of the scheme are issued a certificate confirming NIHR Associate Principal Investigator status.

Endorsement by the College has allowed the scheme to open to NIHR Portfolio studies in the institute’s Oral and Dental Specialty, and certificates issued to successful trainees will be endorsed by the College.

An introductory video is above, and details of how to become a trainee, or how to register a study for the scheme, can be found on the NIHR Associate PI Scheme website

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College of General Dentistry News

West Midlands members encouraged to get involved in research

The College would like to encourage research-interested colleagues based in the West Midlands to get involved with an active regional dental research network.

The West Midlands Dental Research Network, part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Clinical Research Network, is looking for dental practices to join.

Getting involved with research is actively promoted by the College, and information about research processes can be found in our online introductory guide to research for primary dental care clinicians.

Yann Maidment, CGDent Research Lead and Kanwar Ratra, CGDent Council Member for the West Midlands, said:

“If you live or work in the region and are interested in research, have already thought about making your practice research-active or are considering involvement as a means of professional development, we encourage you to join the West Midlands Dental Research Network.”

Further details are below.

NIHR Clinical Research Network West Midlands Dental Research Network

Have you thought about becoming a research active dental practice?  We are here to offer you that opportunity.

Who Are We?

The Clinical Research Network West Midlands, part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). We are here to help provide advice, support and assistance to allow your dental practice to take part in high-quality dental research in the clinical setting where the care is provided.

The benefits for Dental Practices and personnel taking part in research:

  • Research Career Development
  • Contributing to NICE Evidence Base
  • Patients given opportunity of research involvement (per NHS Constitution)
  • Quality Mark for CQC Inspection
  • Staff Learning and Development with CPD opportunities
  • NIHR accredited certificate
  • Updates on research findings to contribute to policy and practice

Expressions of Interest:

We seek expressions of interest from forward-thinking dental practices who would like to join our Dental Research Network. This will provide the opportunity to be the first to find out about high profile dental research studies taking place in your area.

Joining the Dental Research Network does not commit you to taking part in a particular study and is free.

To express your interest please contact: Anesha Chauhan, the Clinical Research Practitioner coordinating the Dental Research Network in W Midlands. Email: [email protected] or by mobile: 07823 362148.

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College of General Dentistry News

Supporting patients with oral healthcare advice – can you help?

CGDent is working with Haleon (formerly GSK), to explore the opportunities for enhancing oral healthcare advice through dental practices, and supporting those members of the team on the front line for advising patients and your communities.

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We are inviting interest from practices and teams around the UK that might be interested in hosting a focus group for an evening, early in 2024. It’s a great chance to spotlight the valuable work of team members and for them to contribute to a national project.

We aim for our focus groups to comprise 6-9 people, drawn from the host practice and others in your local area, that you might like to invite.

Sessions are expected to run in the evening for 1.5-2 hours, facilitated by our team. We only require a comfortable space for ten people, in a relaxed setting such as a reception room. We will bring the biscuits!

If you would like to contribute, please get in touch at [email protected] by Friday 17 November 2023. We cannot promise to take up every opportunity, but look forward to joining practices up and down the UK in developing this project.

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The College and Haleon are hosting a live webinar on Tuesday 30 November at 2pm (GMT) where we will share insights from our recent study on preventative oral care and provide information about the full research programme – register your place.

College of General Dentistry News

Interviewees sought to help develop clinical risk assessment tool for GDPs

General dental practitioners are being sought to support research towards the development of a clinical risk assessment tool, and the College would like to encourage members to participate.

The research is part of the RADIANT project being conducted by a team at Peninsula Dental School at the University of Plymouth, and aims to create and develop a practical, evidenced-based restorative dental risk assessment tool informed by input from clinical practitioners, rather than the classical single speciality approach.

The concept behind the new index is to objectively assess the risk of dental complications for the patient’s whole mouth, focussing on improving the accuracy and consensus between clinicians regarding diagnostic and prognostic decision-making. It is hoped that the availability of a robust risk assessment tool will then help clinicians to develop treatment plans, and will provide a common reference point to improve risk communication between clinical dentists, primarily general dental practitioners, and their patients.

The Principal Investigator, Dr Mark-Steven Howe FCGDent, is a general dental practitioner in Broadway, Worcestershire. He would like to interview about 12 general dental practitioners of varying experience over the coming months in order to incorporate their views and opinions on how they make clinical decisions into the development of the new tool.

Interviews will take place virtually and should take only 30-60 minutes.

If you would like to participate, or to request further information, please send an email with the subject line ‘RADIANT’ to [email protected]

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College of General Dentistry Recent event

Maximising the potential of preventative oral care

Webinar, Thursday 30 November 2023, 2pm

Dental teams across the country face great challenges in providing accessible support for their patients and communities. The College of General Dentistry works to support the whole dental team in addressing these challenges, for the benefit of the nation’s oral health.

We have been working with Haleon, a global leader in consumer health with brands like Sensodyne or Corsodyl trusted by millions of patients, to conduct a survey to better understand the role preventative oral care plays in routine dental appointments.

The study, featuring insights from dental health professionals and patients, highlights the importance of preventative oral care, whilst also pointing to opportunities for its enhancement, supported by the clinical team, across the UK.

In order to unlock the findings of the survey, the College and Haleon hosted a live webinar on 30 November 2023. A recording of the webinar is available to view below.

Speakers:

  • Sarah Murray MBE, Board Member of the Faculty of Dental Hygiene and Therapy, College of General Dentistry
  • Bas Vorsteveld, Vice President and General Manager, GB&I, Haleon
  • Dr Kate Fabrikant, Medical Director, Northern Europe, Haleon

Membership of the College of General Dentistry is open to all registered dental professionals and dental students. Find out about our membership types and fees here. 

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Can you help us in the next phase of our research? We would like to hear from practices around the UK who are interested in hosting an evening focus group to explore preventative oral care advice given within practice – find out more.

College of General Dentistry News

Dental practices sought for pulpitis research

General dental practices are being sought for an NHS-funded research project, and the researchers are encouraging CGDent members to apply to participate.

The study into Pulpotomy or root canal treatment for the management of Irreversible Pulpitis in mature teeth (PIP study) compares the effectiveness of full pulpotomy and root canal treatment for irreversible pulpitis in permanent pre-molar and molar teeth.

Following a successful feasibility study which informed the final design of the PIP study, the researchers are now looking to recruit general dental practices in Scotland and England to each support the recruitment of approximately 11 participants and follow them up at one year. Training, support and remuneration are provided.

The project is being conducted by the Universities of Dundee, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Liverpool, Sheffield, King’s College London, plus NHS Education for Scotland and the Centre for Healthcare Randomised Trials and was commissioned by the NHS National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.

PIP study details

Patient participants will need to be at least 16 years old with symptoms indicative of irreversible pulpitis in a pre-molar or molar tooth with deep caries and/or a deep restoration. They must be seeking treatment at an NHS dental practice and receive a full pulpotomy.

Patients whose teeth have immature roots, clinical or radiographic signs of a necrotic pulp, insufficient tissue for a restoration or a poor prognosis (e.g. internal or external resorption) will not be eligible, likewise those with presence of a sinus, tenderness to percussion, buccal tenderness, pathological mobility or evidence off pathology on a periapical radiograph. All participating patients must be able to give informed consent.

Dentists taking part in the study will receive training, with fees and verifiable CPD provided, as well as remuneration covering set up costs, the cost of administration at the start and end of the study, service support cost and attendance of the end of study conference. You would continue to claim NHS fees and any charges for private treatment in the usual way.

Further information is available here. If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please email PIP‐[email protected] or complete the site initiation questionnaire.

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College of General Dentistry Recent event

Meta-analyses and their appraisal

CGDent recorded webinar, Wednesday 7 December 2022

This lunch and learn webinar is the third in the College’s Research and Critical Appraisal of Evidence series of webinars.

This third CGDent webinar outlines the main elements and key stages of meta-analysis and how to appraise meta-analyses. We examine heterogeneity and its causes, consider the interpretation of a forest plot and look at appraisal checklists.

Speakers:

  • Derek Richards, Specialist in Dental Public Health, Director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Dentistry
  • Dr Mark-Steven Howe, General Dental Practitioner

Further webinars in this series:

GDC development outcomes: A C

CPD approx 1 hour

This webinar is hosted by the College of General Dentistry and powered by our CPD delivery partner, ProDental CPD – watch the recording below.

It was free to view live for all dental professionals, and College members also have free access to the recorded webinar and can claim CPD hours for free.  A £20 fee will apply for non-members who wish to claim CPD.

Membership of the College of General Dentistry is open to all registered dental professionals. Membership for dentists is available from £94, and for other registered dental professionals from £33. The full list of CGDent membership rates is at https://cgdent.uk/membership-fees/. 

watch webinar

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College of General Dentistry Recent event

Statistics in the real world

CGDent recorded webinar, Wednesday 2 November 2022

This lunch and learn webinar is the second in the College’s Research and Critical Appraisal of Evidence series of webinars.

This second CGDent webinar provides an overview of key statistical terms needed to support critical appraisal. We explore statistical terms and their real-world interpretation and discuss the difference between statistically significant and clinically significant results.

Speakers:

  • Derek Richards, Specialist in Dental Public Health, Director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Dentistry
  • Dr Mark-Steven Howe, General Dental Practitioner

Further webinars in this series:

GDC learning outcomes: A C

CPD approx 1 hour

This webinar is hosted by the College of General Dentistry and powered by our CPD delivery partner, ProDental CPD – watch the recording below.

It was free to view live for all dental professionals, and College members also have free access to the recorded webinar and can claim CPD hours for free.  A £20 fee will apply for non-members who wish to claim CPD.

Membership of the College of General Dentistry is open to all registered dental professionals. Membership for dentists is available from £94, and for other registered dental professionals from £33. The full list of CGDent membership rates is at https://cgdent.uk/membership-fees/. 

watch webinar

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College of General Dentistry News

NIHR Career Progression Fellowships now available to GDPs

The NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR) is currently inviting applications for their annual Primary Care Clinician Career Progression Fellowships, which this year are available to primary care clinicians practising in the UK, including general dental practitioners.

Aimed at primary care clinicians who want to start or continue a career in primary care research, the part-time, one-year Fellowships are an opportunity to further develop an academic portfolio in preparation to apply for and conduct a PhD.

The Fellowships can be undertaken at any one of the School’s nine member universities and applicants do not have to be employed by a member university when applying for the Fellowship. Details of each of the universities and their available research programmes can be found here.

In addition to the research opportunities available at each SPCR university, successful applicants will have access to a range of benefits offered by SPCR, including specialised training opportunities, networking, additional funding, mentoring and NIHR Academy membership.

Before applying for a Fellowship, applicants are advised to check that their proposed research project is compatible with the NIHR remit and are encouraged to contact their preferred university to discuss hosting their planned research.

Anyone wishing to apply can download the application form and find more information about the application process here.

Applications close on Monday 25 April 2022 (midnight), online interviews will be held on Thursday 9 June 2022 and the awards start from August 2022.


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College of General Dentistry Recent event

How to read a paper properly

Recorded webinar, Wednesday 28 September 2022

This lunch and learn webinar is the first in the College’s Research and Critical Appraisal of Evidence series of webinars.

The aim of this first webinar is to help you understand how to critically appraise a research paper. Our expert speakers Derek Richards and Dr Mark-Steven Howe, look at the major types of study design and the main biases that might affect its validity. The need for critical appraisal of research evidence is also discussed and the speakers provide an overview of the range of appraisal tools.

Speakers:

  • Derek Richards, Specialist in Dental Public Health, Director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Dentistry
  • Dr Mark-Steven Howe, General Dental Practitioner

Further webinars in this series:

GDC development outcomes: A C

CGDent members and ProDental subscribers have free access to the recorded webinar and can claim CPD hours for free.  A £20 fee will apply for non-members/non-subscribers who wish to claim CPD.

watch webinar

This webinar is powered by our CPD delivery partner, ProDental CPD. 

Membership of the College of General Dentistry is open to all registered dental professionals. Membership for dentists is available from £94, and for other registered dental professionals from £33. The full list of CGDent membership rates is at https://cgdent.uk/membership-fees/. 

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